concordia discors
by Forever Siriusly Sirius
Summary: She was a Princess; second only to her sister, the Queen. He was naught but a Mudblood. .She shouldn't have been attracted to him. He should never have been in her presence. But she was, and he was, and they never should have been. For it was their unfortunate colliding that tipped the scales and caused the world to spin. AU. Warning, incest, non graphic torture.


**A/N**  
**Challenge**: Big sis/Lil sis competition. Write an AU that is different to your partners. You must use the same pairing. Quidditch League Competition, position Keeper.  
**Prompts**: Word: blood, Phrase: ice cold, Genre: Angst, Song: Viva la Vida  
**Pairing**: Bellatrix/Andromeda, Andromeda/Ted.

**_**Note**_: In this AU, England is split up into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. They are not Hogwarts Houses in the case, but countries.**

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**concordia discors**  
Harmony in discord

She was a Princess; second only to her sister, the Queen. He was naught but a Mudblood.

She had the world at her feet, anything she could ever want with a snap of her fingers. He held up the world, working tirelessly day after day just to survive.

She shouldn't have been attracted to him. He should never have been in her presence.

But she was, and he was, and they never should have been. For it was their unfortunate colliding that tipped the scales and caused the world to spin.

**Xxx**

She sits in her chair in the throne room. She has the throne on the right hand of the Queen, as the second in line to the throne. Princess Narcissa sits on the left of the Queen.

Andromeda observes the inhabitants of the room. It is her favourite past time when Court is in session. Queen Bellatrix sits in her throne, apparently bored. Her fingers drum on the arm of her throne, accentuating her blood red nails. Her head is resting on her hand, hooded eyes glazed as they scan the room. Andromeda wonders how she can manage to look so regal, and terrifying, in a pose that would be unflattering on anybody else. Including herself. It is a well known fact that the best way to entertain the Queen is to bring her a Mudblood to play with, and the Queen without her pet is not a Queen that anyone wishes to encounter. Not even Andromeda would dare speak up. Unfortunately for the court, her pet had died that morning. Andromeda winced at the memory of her rage. Her new pet had been ordered, however the delivery was late.

Narcissa sits, with her posture perfect as ever. Her long blonde hair cascades around her elegantly. The perfect picture of supposed innocence, like a sculpture made of the purest ice. Her face is as regal as ever, a hint of a smirk ghosts her lovely features.

Andromeda herself is lazily reclined in her throne. There is nothing particularly special about Andromeda. She has neither the delicate beauty of Narcissa, nor the haunting aura of Bellatrix that demands the attention of all those in the room. Andromeda does not move with Narcissa's grace, nor the lithe, catlike movements of Bellatrix. Her hair is neither pale blonde, nor is it charcoal black. Andromeda has always been slightly different from her siblings. Perhaps that is why she reacts the way she does when Bella's new plaything is finally brought into the room.

A man, about her age, is dragged into the room. Andromeda's eyes are immediately drawn to his face. Narcissa's mouth curves up into the slightest hint of a smile, and Bellatrix cackles. The sound emanates without mercy. Andromeda studies his face, His fair hair and blue eyes accompanied by slightly ruddy cheeks give the appearance of a kind man. She is drawn to him, in a way that she has never been drawn to anybody before. Unlike other pets of Bella's in the past, this one does not cower in fear, nor snivel and cry and beg for mercy. This one, she observes, somehow retains his dignity despite the chains that bind him. If there is something that connects all three sisters together, it is that they are drawn to leaders. Those with power. He certainly had that quality.

"Crucio."

He writhes on the ground, fists clenched by his side and pain wracking his body. Yet he does not scream. When Bellatrix is done, the three sisters stand in unison, as they always do, to observe how Bellatrix's toy fared.

Bellatrix kicks him, and he groans quietly but refrains from crying out any more than that. Her face is twisted up into a malicious smirk.

"Look at it, pathetic. See it cry, but oh it didn't scream. Where is the fun if they don't scream, hmmm? Don't you worry, my pretty, I'll break your spirit soon enough. You'll be begging for mercy, begging for death by the time I'm through with you," she croons softly, almost, in a twisted way, affectionately. The Mudblood snarls. For some reason, Andromeda begins to feel ill. Why does she feel so repulsed? It's just a Mudblood, she's seen hundreds of Mudbloods tortured in front of her like this, so why does she feel the urge to protect this one? To save it, to save him?

She shakes off her traitorous thoughts and follows a laughing Bella back to their chambers. He -no, the Mudblood- is taken to the prisons in the damp, underwater dungeons of Slytherin Castle.

The other favourite past time of Bella, is Andromeda. Especially after a satisfying go with her Mudblood playthings. Incest was not uncommon in the royal bloodlines. It barely even bothered her anymore.

Bellatrix pushes her against the wall, arms pinning her in place. Bellatrix is always in charge, her haunting eyes study her, scrutinizing her with such a ferociousness that Andromeda gets the feeling that Bella can sense all her traitorous thoughts. She shivers.

Bellatrix runs her hand down Andromeda's face, neck, shoulder, arms, resting at her hip to pull her closer.

"So, what do you think of my new pet?"

Bella has a knowing smile on her face, and Andromeda shivers again. One wrong move, and she is dead.

"I think he's strong, stronger than the other before him. He'll last longer."

"'He'? You know what I think of getting attached, 'Meda. It will die regardless of what you feel," Bella's voice is soothing, and dangerously calm. She knows how her sisters heart raced a little at the site of him, how Andromeda's blood roared when Bella tortured him. Andromeda does not miss the hidden undertones in her sisters voice. So she nods stiffly. Bella trails kisses down her neck, and purrs.

"Now come here, I want you."

**Xxx**

The next night, Narcissa is Bellatrix's sister of choice. Andromeda takes the opportunity to slip down to the dungeons and observe Bella's pet.

He hisses and spits like a cat when he sees her. She does not blame him. She would do the same if she came face to face with the sister of her torturer.

"What do you want? Come to 'play' with me as well? Wasn't once enough?" His voice would have been pleasant to listen to, under normal circumstances. It is deep and mellow, almost hypnotizing. It sends her heart into a frenzy, and all she can do is stand there. No sound comes out of her mouth. The soothingness of his voice makes her want to swoon.

She are falling for the Mudblood. If Bella were to ever find out...she dares not think about that. The room suddenly drops, it is ice cold now. Any warmth that was there is gone.

She gives him one last shocked look, before turning to flee.

**Xxx**

Sitting in her throne, Andromeda resists the urge to throw up. He still does not scream. Bellatrix cackles, and emits the cruelest sounding laugh she has ever heard in her life.

As he writhes under the watchful eye of Bellatrix, he hits his head on the floor. Rivers of read flow from the wound, his blood will forever stain that spot. Andromeda's eyes are transfixed and she shudders.

Bellatrix ends the curse, settling back down in her throne. A crazed, manic look passes over her face as her mouth twists into the most grotesque smile Andromeda has ever seen on her face. Bella turns to Andromeda, and her catty smile widens.

His eyes meet Andromeda's, but instead of the pleading look she expected all she sees his hatred. Bella leans over to whisper in her ear,

"Your turn."

Andromeda freezes. Nausea fills her as she realises that Bellatrix is completely serious. She schools her face so that Bella cannot tell how sick this makes her.

"I thought you didn't like other people playing with your toys, Bella," she responds cooly, hoping that it will prevent her from having to hurt him.

Bella just laughs.

"Oh, but Meda dearest, is he really mine?"

Bella's smirk provides a challenge. A challenge to accept, and live, or deny and pay the price. Andromeda is no Gryffindor. In the land of Slytherin, people do what is necessary for them to survive. There is no chivalry. Only ambition and self preservation. So she accepts.

"Crucio."

He jerks a little on the floor, but because she doesn't really mean the curse, it doesn't have the same effect as what Bella's did. She can feel Bella's dark eyes drill into her brain, and she knew if she does not step up her game, then he would not be the only one getting tortured that night.

Andromeda focuses all her energy on meaning this, she feels sick and she's sure it shows, but Bella can't suspect anything.

Apparently she satisfies her sister, whose cruel smirk makes Andromeda want to hide, as Bellatrix allows her to stop. Even though Bellatrix is her sister, and she loves her dearly, she also terrifies Andromeda completely. She knows all too well what happens to traitors. Bella had killed her favourite cousin Sirius, only a few years ago for running away from home and joining up with the Muggle loving Potters. She had killed them too, taking particular pleasure in the slow murder of her cousin, and that Muggle-Born Evans girl.

If truth be told, Andromeda did not much care either way for blood purity. It was only because she had been raised in a purists environment that she even recognized the difference between the blood types.

Shakily, she leaves the throne room and retires to her own quarters. Once safely locked in her room, she throws up.

The guilt begins to gnaw at her, like a mouse gnawing at cheese.

The scales have begun to tip.

**Xxx**

Bellatrix calls on her again that night. In-between forceful kisses and bruising touches, Bellatrix whispers haunting words that will plague her nightmares.

"Did you enjoy that, pet?" She purrs into her ear, voice silky and convincing. But it's not his voice.

"Did you enjoy crucio-ing it, hearing him cry? listening to it scream?"

Just like the last time, she kisses down her neck, reminding her of who she belongs to. Her use of 'it' reminds Andromeda of what would happen if it were his lips leaving marks on her neck, and his voice that whispered in her ear. She can't help but wish. Her guilt is drowning her, she should be ice cold like like her sisters but she can't. She can't stop feeling. The scales tip even more. Things have become unbalanced, and it's all her fault.

"You know it deserved it, it's just a filthy Mudblood, 'Meda. Forget about him, you have me. Remember? I'm your Queen," she croons, marking her territory once more. "Don't fall for him, Meda. It's happened before, the Prince and the Mudblood, remember? James Potter, Prince of Gryffindor, and Lily Evans, the Mudblood. Dead. Both of them. Do you want to end up like that?"

Her fingers trail down Andromeda's back, pushing slightly reminding her of a snake. Bellatrix is the snake, who makes everybody stay in line, a snake that people fear and respect, love and hate. A snake that wont hesitate to bite if its livelihood is in danger. No matter who brings the danger, no one is safe.

But all she can think about is him.

**Xxx**

She goes to see him again, this time with a peace offering of food. He does not accept. She tries to ignore the stab of pain the comes from his rejection. She deserves it.

"Trying to poison me now, eh, Princess? Torture not enough for you?" His voice is rough, there is dried blood on his face. The guilt rises, it has not quite reached her heart yet, but it is close, the bottoms of her lungs are filled.

He spits at her as she sits down opposite him. She doesn't know what exactly she is doing, all she knows is that she wants to talk to him. To hear his voice.

"Where are you from?"

He glares at her. There is silence for a long time.

"Hufflepuff."

"The land known for its loyalty. I would have pegged you for a Gryffindor."

"And I'd have pegged you for a selfish Slytherin. Which you are."

She winces again.

"What's your name?" She asks softly.

"Why do you care? Going to dig a grave for me when I die?" He retorts sharply, not missing a beat.

"I thought Hufflepuff's were meant to be nice."

"I'd like to see you try and be nice to the people that captured and tortured you. Anyway, I thought Slytherin's were supposed to be smart."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He rolls his eyes.

"The way you're living is archaic, i'm surprised the 'mudblood' population hasn't revolted yet. The fact that you're completely ignorant doesn't help."

She frowns. Once again there is silence.

"I'm sorry, you know. About...before."

He snorts. "Right, well until 'sorry' can get me out of here, I don't want to hear it. You're a coward, terrified of your sister. You'll never change."

He throws her a disgusted look, and she takes the hint and rises.

"I'll bring you more food later, and something for the pain."

With that, she turns and leaves.

**Xxx**

It happens again. Bellatrix orders her to crucio him.

She meets his eyes, and he stares at her knowingly. His words echo in her mind.

_You'll never change._

She hesitates much longer before raising her wand and whispering crucio. She knows it is a weak crucio, but she cannot bring herself to inflict more pain on him.

Bellatrix's eyes drill into her skull, she knows she will pay for it. She has to prove to him that he is not who he thinks she is. She is different, not just a puppet on a string, not constantly living in fear of the vicious snake bite.

He seems relieved, the next time his eyes meet hers, he almost looks grateful and a little surprised.

She feels a small ray of hope, that she may change his opinion of her yet.

**Xxx**

True to her word, she returns with food, water, and a potion to help him with the pain.

"It will make you numb, next time you get crucio'd you wont feel it. Or at least, it will be dulled. However you have to pretend to feel it. Bellatrix cannot know I gave it to you. She's as cold as ice and will not hesitate to kill us all. Believe me, it will be much more painful than what you are enduring now."

His eyes are wide, full of surprise.

"Why?" He croaks out.

She smiles a little. "I'm not who think I am. You think I'm some evil, manipulated coward who doesn't have a heart or a mind of her own. You're wrong, and I want to prove it to you."

He says nothing.

"What is your name?"

This time he answers.

"Ted. Ted Tonks. And you?"

"Andromeda Black."

It was the start of a tentative, almost friendship.

The scale tips even more.

**Xxx**

The pattern repeats itself. Everyday Bellatrix makes Andromeda crucio Ted. And every day she hesitates a fraction of a second longer before complying. Every day he drinks the potion, and fakes being crucio'd. Every evening she brings food, and more pain potion. Every evening she asks him more questions, and with every day she finds herself falling a little bit more in love.

She sits across him, bars separate her from him.

"When is this going to end, Dromeda?"

It's was bad day for both of them. While he may not feel the full force of the Cruciatus Curse, his body still gets damaged and his will power crushed just a little. Bellatrix had crucio'd him for hours, longer than normal, laughing that deranged laugh of hers.

He is bruised, and bloody, and the dungeons were even icier than normal. She can't even bring him a blanket because someone could see.

He is curled up in his cell, much of his strength had been drained from his battered, black and blue body that sometimes it is all he can do to keep his eyes open.

She pushes her fingers through the bar and he raises his hand to meet her fingers. Somehow they manage to interlock them. She doesn't know if he felt it, but she can't ignore the jolt that ran through her veins when they touched. Her heart beats faster in her chest.

She shakes her head, wishing with all her heart that she could help him. "I don't know, Ted. I just don't know."

She stays with him, idly chatting, reminding him that he is not alone in this hell, until he passes out. Surreptitiously she casts a heating charm on him and prays that it will be enough to last him through the ice cold night. Tomorrow, she would devise a plan and get him out of there.

**Xxx**

"Thank you," he whispers hoarsely as she enters the dungeons.

She frowns. "For what?"

"For always being here. Every night you come, with food and that stuff...you said early on that I was wrong about you. You were right. You're not like your sisters, either of them. You're much kinder than they are. You could even be a Hufflepuff."

She laughs. "I will always be here for you."

She looks around before gesturing for him to lean in close. Their lips are almost touching through the bars. Tentatively, she reaches out to run her fingers lightly down his face. He shudders and closes his eyes. She takes her fingertips, kisses them and places them on his cheek. He softly moves her fingers to his lips. She feels a sense of euphoria run through her veins.

"I have a plan," she whispers. "To get us out of here. Together. We can run away, we can go to Hufflepuff and be safe and live happily ever after."

Hope fills his eyes. "I'd like that, I'd like that very much indeed."

She smiles shyly. Part of them both knows that they'll never make it out of here alive, but the other part clings to the hope and promise of love and freedom, fantasizing about what they'll do and where they'll go. It provides the lightness in the dark, a fragile hold on their sanity. It provides hope. That is the only thing stopping them from giving up.

The scales have completely tipped. The snake is about to bite.

**Xxx**

"Did you really think you could get away with this, darling Meda?"

Andromeda jumps. She drops the keys which she had stolen and used to begin unlocking Teds cell. Fear freezes her veins, she feels like an ice sculpture she is so cold.

Narcissa stands behind Bellatrix, perfectly regal. No emotion is betrayed on her perfect face.

"Oh look at this, Cissy, how sweet. Meda actually thought she run away. Well, Meda, let Bella teach you a lesson. No one, no one, runs away from the House of Black. Especially not with a Mudblood."

Bellatrix's sneer caused Andromeda to shudder with fear.

"Take him away, to the maximum security prisons. Make his execution for tomorrow morning. I want Meda to watch."

She opens her mouth to protest, but no words come out. Tears run down her face,

"Dromeda!" Ted cries, struggling against his captors. His fingers brush hers one last time before he leaves the room. I love you, he mouths. She fries harder and whispers the words back.

"As for her, take her to her room. Don't let her out of your sight."

**Xxx**

She sits in her room, unable to comprehend how everything went so wrong. She should have anticipated that Bellatrix would find out, she always does. The tears stream down her face. She is under constant supervision, handcuffed to the bed with magic ropes that are impossible to get out of.

They were supposed to be safe! Supposed to be free, free to marry and free from prejudice and controlling older sisters. They were supposed to be happy.

One minute she'd be the Princess, right hand of the Queen. She had everything she wanted at the tips of her fingers. The scale was balanced.

Then she met him and everything she knew was turned upside down and inside out. She fell in love, and the scales tipped.

Now she was crumpled in her room, about to watch the only decent person in her life be cruelly stripped away from her. And it was all her fault.

Part of her wishes she's never met him. She could carry on her ignorant lifestyle in peace. The other part is glad she met him, he made her feel more alive than anyone ever had before. She loved him, with everything he had, and now she has to watch him die.

**Xxx**

His death was one of the most horrific events she'd ever had to witness in her life.

He his brought to the throne room again, only this time she is not sitting on her throne, but rather is chained to the wall. He is beaten and bloody. His eyes meet hers from across the room and she struggles against her chains to get to him.

"I love you," she cried, tears leaking down her pale face. This was goodbye.

"I'll see you in Hufflepuff," was his only response.

Bellatrix comes out, dressed in her most regal gown. Narcissa follows, looking every bit the ice cold princess that she is. Bellatrix holds her wand ready in one hand, and a sharp knife in the other. Narcissa goes to sit on her throne.

His screams mingled with hers, his blood ran in rivers along the floor to her feet. Her tears collided with his blood, causing the rivers of red to flow even more, and forever stain the floor with the memory of this tragedy.

As their knives plunged into his body one last time, she feels her heart shatter as she watches the life drain out of his body, wasting away.

Bellatrix turns to face her, her hands are stained with blood, and her face is absolutely deranged. Andromeda closes her eyes, and steels herself for the inevitable.

"Your turn, 'Meda. Don't be scared, this wont hurt a bit. You'll be able to join your dear Mudblood boyfriend soon. Always remember, you brought this on yourself."

The snake has bitten.

The snake has killed.

The scales have been restored.

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**A/N **Well that was intense c:. Let me know what you thought in a review!

Xx

liza


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